Fleshing machine



Aug. 21, 1962 l.. MILLS FLESHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 20, 1961 HG. .f

INVENTOR. fs/"fe /I//us BY* 2 Aug. 21, 1962 L. MILLS 3,049,906

FLESHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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3,049,906 rLEsHrNo r/mcmnin Lester Mills, Paynesville, Minn. Filed Dec. 2i?, 1%1, Ser. No. 160,735 4 Claims. (Cl. 69--46) This invention relates to a ileshing machine, and more particularly to such a device adapted for removing the llesh from the pelts of small `animals such as mink or the like.

The invention constitutes an improvement over the prior patent of A. N. Heniling, da-ted June 21, 1960, No. 2,941,391.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of an improved ileshing machine of this character having spring biased means for constantly urging an oscillating lleshing knife or blade into engagement with the pelt to be fleshed.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a blower or fan and an air duct leading to a nozzle immediately adjacent the blade for blowing the fat and grease removed from the pelt back on the knife which then runs down into an associated grease pan leaving the pelt and -fur free of grease and ready for the board for further ltreatment.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character including tilting table means upon which the oscillating knife is mounted, which may be readily tilted to disengage the knife from the pelt at any time.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in :the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View of a fleshing machine constructed in accordance with the instant invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 of FIG. l as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view partially in section and partially in elevation disclosing a constructional detail.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, there is generally indicated at 16 a supporting frame, which comprises a pair of upper angle irons 11 extending longitudinally of the machine in spaced relation, and forming rails, for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter, connected by end pieces 12. The frame is supported on legs 13 at each corner thereof, the legs being provided with extensions 14 held in position by means of set screw members 15 lfor adjusting the frame to any desired height.

A lower frame comprises a pair of side portions 16 connected by end members (not shown) similar to the members 12. The frame members 16 support a grease or drip pan 17 which has a funnel-shaped bottom and a centrally located opening 18 which may be positioned over a receptacle for catching any drainage therefrom.

Uprights 19 and 2G extend vertically from opposite ends of the frame 10, the upright 2l) including an inwardly offset portion 21 and have rotatably extending between their upper extremities a fleshing pole shaft 22. Transversely extending plates 28 and 29 carry a pair of tapered conical ileshing spindles 30, the larger end of each of which is provided with resilient retractor members 31 terminating in pelt engaging clips or hooks 32. The

Y United States Patent O Mice ends of each of plates 29 and 28 are provided with V- shaped indentations 33 by means of which the fleshing spindles may be readily removed for the positioning of pelts thereon. The upper extremities of each of the uprights 19 and Ztl also carry recesses 34 tapered at their upper extremities inwardly, so that the ileshing pole and its associated mechanism may be removed in its entirety, if desired.

A carriage, generally indicated at 35, is comprised of side members 36 and end pieces 37. Grooved rollers 38 mounted on stub axles 39 permit linear movement of the carriage 35 along the rails 11. A handle 4@ is secured to the frame 35 to permit manual linear movement thereof along the tracks 11.

Positioned interiorly of frame 35 is a second frame generally indicated at v41 and comprised of a rst side member 42, an opposite side member 43, and end members 44. The side member 42 is parallel to, and spaced from, the adjacent side member 36 of the frame 35. The frame 41 is pivotally mounted by means of pivots 4S to the end members 37 of frame 35. Compression spring members 46 extend between member 42 and its adjacent frame member 36 for the purpose of tilting the frame in a direction towards the ileshing spindle 31? immediately adjacent thereto, for reasons to be more fully described hereinafter.

An electric motor 47 is dependingly secured to the underside of frame 41, and drives, through a belt and pulley arrangement, a cam assembly, generally Iindicated at 48, which oscillates a pivoted blade carrying arm 49. The cam arrangement is fully described in the abovementioned Patent No. 2,941,391 and `forms no part of the instant invention.

Rollers 5i) secured by springs 51 to frame members 36 serve to hold the frame 35 in related assembly with the tracks 11. This arrangement is also shown in detail in Patent No. 2,941,391.

`The knife carrying arm 49 carries an oscillating scraper blade or knife 55, which is detachably secured thereto by means of bolts 56 so as to permit ready replacement when it becomes dull. The knife 55 oscillates in an arc in the direction indicated by the arcuate arrow in FIG. l, and is pivotally mounted as on a pivot, not shown, carried by an arm 57 secured to the inner frame 41. The knife. carrying arm 49 extends through a deflector plate 5S and a flexible sealing member 59 which precludes any fat or grease from the pelt being fleshed from :falling into the mechanism. A skirt d@ is also provided adjacent the end of the frame and depends from the member 37 to serve as a further shield to guide fat and grease into the pan 17.

Referring back to the spring members 46 and more particularly to FIG. 4, it ywill be seen that each is comprised of a cylindrical member 69 having a stem 61 extending therefrom land ka stud 62 at its other end. The stud 62 extends through a suitable opening in the frame member 36 while the end of the pin 611 extends through an aligned opening in the frame member 41. A compression spring 63 surrounds the pin 61 and seats at one end against a flange 64 formed on the cylindrical member 66 and at its other end abuts the member 4-2 in such manner as to tilt the entire frame 41 in a direction to bias the knife 55 toward the pelt carried by the adjacent spindle 3d.

A handle 65 is secured to a bracket 66 carried by the inner frame 41 `and may be employed to tilt the frame 41 in a direction to move the blade away from the pelt when desired.

A fan or blower 711 is also carried by the frame 35 and driven by a self `contained motor to force yair through a flexible conduit 71 into a tube 72' and thence through a nozzle 73 immediately lin yadvance of the blade 55 so that fat and grease removed from the pelt may be blown 3 onto the knife, land thence fall to the shield 58 and ultimately to the trough 17. A suitable support 73 is carried by the frame 41 land tilts therewith so that the nozzle 73 moves with the knife 55. Y

From the foregoing the operation of the device shouid now be readily understandable. A pelt to be lieshed is positioned on each of the spindles 3b and secured firmly thereon by means of the clamps or hooks 32. The frame 35 is then manually moved toward the reduced end of the spindle, `and the motor 47 actuated to reciprocate the knife 55 and iat the same time actuate the blower or fan 70. The entire assembly is then moved by means of 'a handle 40 toward the larger end of the spindle, and the pelt associated therewith, the spindle meanwhile being manually rotated in order that lall portions of the pelt may be completely ileshed. The fat and grease removed from the pelt by the knife 55 is blown toward the blade 55 and then drops or falls toward the `rleflector 5b and into the tough 17 from which it may be removed. The arrangement of the twospindles as shown in FIG. 3 permits two pelts to be mounted before disassembly of the spindles and fleshing pole, merely by moving one spindle in the position adjacent the knife 5S and then when the pelt mounted thereon has been fleshed rotating the entire assembly about the `ileshing post 2-2 to juxtapose the other spindle and its associated pelt to the knife.

By virtue of the spring arrangement 46 previously described, the reciprocating knife is held constantly in engagement with the pelt to be eshed unless manually moved by the handle 65, and a constant stream of air is blown over the pelt to permit any grease, fat or iiesh removed therefrom to drop into the receptacle 17 provided therefor.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved ileshing machine which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, 'and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In `a -eshing machine, in combination, a supporting frame, 'an upright extending above each end of said frame, a eshing pole extending between said uprights, a spindle adapted for the reception of a pelt to be fleshed carried by said ileshing pole, a pair of tracks oarnied by the top of said frame extending in parallelism to said pole, a wheeled carriage having an open top for-ming an outer frame mounted on said tracks for longitudinal movement therealong, an Iinner frame pivotally mounted in said outer frame, an oscillating knife supporting arm carried by said inner frame, motor means dependingly secured to said inner frame for reciprocating said knife supporting arm, a fleshing knife detachably secured to Vthe upper end of said knife supporting arm, and spring means positioned between said inner and outer frame tilting said inner frame in a direction to bias said iieshing knife into engagement with a pelt carried by said spindle.

2. ln a flesh-ing machine, in combination, a supporting frame, an upright extending above each end of said frame, a ileshing pole extending between said uprights, a spindle adapted for the reception of a pelt to be fleshed carried by said fieshing pole, la pair of tracks carried by the top of said frame extending in parallelism to said pole, a wheeled carriage having an open top forming an outer frame mounted on said tracks for longitudinal movement therealong, an irnier frame pivotally mounted in said outer frame, an oscillating knife supporting arm carried by said inner frame, motor means dependingly secured to said inner frame for reciprocating said knife supporting arm, a iieshing knife detachably secured to the upper end of said knife supporting arm, and spring means positioned between said inner and outer frame tilting said inner frame in a direction to bias said ileshing knife into engagement with a pelt carried by said spindle, a blower carried by said outer frame, aflex-ible air duct connected to said blower, a rigid air duct carried by said inner frame communicating with said exible duct, and a nozzle communieating with said rigid duct adjacent said lleshing knife.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said supporting fname carries a refuse tray below said tracks extending substantially the entire length thereof and a refuse deflecting shield is carried by said knife supporting arm.

4. The structure of claim Z wherein said spring means comprise cylindrical members having 4a stud at one end extending into an opening in said outer frame and a pin at the other end extending into an opening in said inner frame, a flange on said stud at its juncture with said pin, and a compression spring on said pin extending between said flange and said inner frame.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,896,438 Larsson July 28, 1959 2,910,856 VFredrickson Nov. 3, 1959 V2,941,391 Henning June 21, 1960 2,942,448 Jonas June 28, 1960 

